I've got 3 random topics to discuss:

Who's going to training camp?  I'm considering heading down for the 17th.  Hopfenkopf, would this be a good time to settle our bet?  I owe you that Dale's Pale Ale!  Anyone else interesting in lunch and awkward introductions ("hey, are you from the internet?"  "yeah, I'm Matt...I mean, thedoctor.  yeah.").

I went to the cycling race through Colorado to cheer on my brother in law, who's on HTC-Highroad.  Lowayne came with, and we got on TV!  One of us properly represented the Avs and Forsberg, one of us had a pink umbrella.  I'll let you guess who is who...

via i.imgur.com

I tried a beer you beer snobs (can't remember who, Malachi?) recommended, Duchesse de Bourgogne.  Holy.  Shit.  That is a great sour.  I also managed to get ahold of some Punkin Ale from Dogfish head.  As pumpkin ales go, it's damn good, though it's overpriced.  Give me more beer recommendations, beer snobs!

Finally, some baby pics for the ladies.

via i.imgur.com

via i.imgur.com

Cutest kid ever, amirite???  :)

Fabian Brunnstrom has been waived by the Dallas Stars.  Brunnstrom has had a very uneven start to his NHL career.  He had that hat trick early on as a rookie, and a respectable 17 goals in 55 games playing mostly in the top 6.  Then, after the emergence of the Dallas young guns like Benn and Neal, Brunnstrom ended up playing in the bottom 6, where he was simply awful.  He's been completely mis-used by Dallas, imo.

Brunnstrom has good size at 6'2" 212, though he's not a physical player, and he's quite fast with a good shot, good passing, and excellent puck skills.  He plays either wing (as a RH shot).

Ladies and gents, this is our Mueller replacement right here.  He's far from a sure thing, but there's no reason we shouldn't pick him up and try him on Duchene's wing.  He's got the speed and skills to play there, which would allow Jones, Yip, or Galiardi to move down and solidify our third.  This is the skilled depth we need.  

Make it happen Sherman!

No, not that Quinn, David Quinn, the former associate head coach for Boston.  How is this guy connected to the Avs...or did we actually hire outside the organization for once?  I wonder how connected this guy is to our prospects with Boston, Brandon Yip, Kevin Shattenkirk. and Colby Cohen?  Could that be the link?

Either way, seems like a pretty solid hire.  Boston is a successful program.

http://avalanche.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=426184

So, while we await the upcoming NHL draft, there's really nothing going on in the hockey world but free agent speculation, mock drafts, and trade proposals.  Anyone who knows me from here, know I love lineup speculation and trade proposals.

Normally I try to keep the trade proposals to hfboards, but these ones are so out there, I thought I'd bring them to a place with much better discussion.  :)  Maybe I can prevent some boredom in others as well as myself!

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Warning:  If you want sunshine and happiness about this offseason, look elsewhere.  If, on the other hand, you like dispassionate and semi-objective analysis from a diehard fan, read on.  This is simply a rewind on the offseason from my own extremely confused and unhappy perspective.

Going into this offseason, I was pretty excited about the Broncos.  Sure, the defense was awful and the coaching on that side of the ball seemed inept to say the least, but the offense!  We had the best young QB in football.  The offensive line was young and excellent already.  Every skill position was set.  On top of that, we had the best offensive mind in football, and the drafting issues appeared to be behind him after a solid 2008 draft.

All we needed was a good defensive draft, some new defensive coaches and this team was Super Bowl bound in the near future, I was convinced.

Then Mike Shanahan was fired.  I was stunned at first, but as more info came out and I considered the past, it made sense.  Shanahan had refused to fire Bob Slowik, who was clearly not the answer as a defensive coach, or relenquish player personnel control at all.  Shanahan's management and player development decisions were questionable at best -- his drafts before the last had been awful with few exceptions.  His choices as subordinates had not gotten the job done.  Shanahan's obsession with power was counter-productive.  When Pat Bowlen said it was time for a change, I accepted it.  One step backwards to make two steps forward, right?

Some time later, the hire was announced:  Josh McDaniels.  At first it seemed a strange choice -- the 32 year old McDaniels had little in the way of a resume and was another offensive-minded coach.  Hadn't we just fired the greatest offensive mind in football?

But as I read the information, I managed to rationalize it to myself.  McDaniels had the potential to be a Shanahan-level genius according to all reports, and this new coach wouldn't have all of the player personnel choices left to him.  A better power structure would lead to better drafting and personnel decisions, right?  Perhaps he could get a better DC in (and he did in Mike Nolan).  One step backwards in coaching ability for 2 steps forward in organizational structure, right?

Over the next few weeks, Jeremy Bates, widely considered a brilliant offensive mind and a "keeper", was let go, along with the Goodmans as GMs.  Not a big deal, I told myself, ust more old guard cleaning out.  But wait a second, who's in control of player personnel now?  Brian Xanders, the new GM, is mostly a numbers guy.  Does this mean the coach is back in control of player personnel?  Wasn't having a better power structure a major reason Shanahan was fired?  Well, maybe McDaniels is better at player personnel.  Yeah, that's it.

As free agency commenced, things appeared to be in good shape.  Brain Dawkins and the glut of other signings were focused on plugging secondary holes on a simply awful defense that needed help virtually everywhere.  There were a couple puzzling RB signings given the presence of Peyton Hillis and Ryan Torain as at least passable options, but whatever.  No biggie, just a coach wanting some more depth.  And dumping Mike Leach, a brilliant long snapper and well-liked locker room figure for the Pats long snapper?  Why would McDaniels do that -- is he that obsessed with his own guys that he would risk alienating the locker room like that?  Puzzling...

Then, the Cutler/Cassel fiasco occurred.  No need to recap the mess, but I felt there was blame on both sides, and because of immaturity on both sides the situation was untenable.  You can't have a disgruntled and newly-revealed-to-be-immature guy like that leading your team, right?  No choice but to trade him, and we got excellent value with 2 firsts, a third and The Neckbeard himself, Kyle Orton.  One step backwards in QB talent to take two steps forward fixing the defense, right?

Which brings us to today, the first day of the draft.  Time to fix the front 7, at last!  After all this, our needs are clear:  we need starters at NT, 3-4 DE, and rush OLB, and we have both the picks to make it happen and to make sure we don't have reach for these positions of need or ignore great value out there.

Instead, we got...this.  At pick 12, Brian Orakpo is available, a great value by all accounts AND at a position of need.  No brainer!  But we passed him up for Knowshon Moreno -- another good value pick and a good player for sure, but at a position the team had already pursued in free agency (RB), and that had substantial talent at the spot already in Hillis and others.  I am puzzled, and frustrated.  I guess we'll be taking front 7 guys with the rest of the picks, right?

Pick 18, Robert Ayers.  A one year wonder 4-3 DE that most figure as a rush OLB in the pros.  He's got red flags for me -- major Jarvis Moss deja-vu anyone?  Isn't he a bit small to be a 3-4 DE? --  but hey, at least we're improving an area of need without reaching too much.

Pick 37, Alphonso Smith, for the Bronco's #1 next year.  Look, I like Smith.  He's a value at #37 despite his size.  But didn't we spend money in free agency to patch up this position?  Aren't there awesome options available right now at positions of need, like Connor Barwin?  I'm no Brace fan, but isn't he a fit at a huge need in NT?   Most of all, we gave up a probable top 10 pick next year for this guy?  I'm literally speechless.  I cannot conceive what might possibly have happened to trigger this sort of insanity.

Pick 48, Darcel McBath?  A SAFETY?  WITH A 3-4 ROUND GRADE?!  All of the above arguments apply -- not a position of need, huge holes to fill, etc.   Why not wait until the 3rd round?  Why not Fili Moala or Paul Kruger?  or Sean Smith if you have to go safety?  Stunned.

Pick 64, Richard Quinn?  A BLOCKING TE?!  WITH A 4TH ROUND GRADE?!   Can't you wait until the 3rd at least instead of wasting picks?  Why do we need this when we have one of the best blocking TEs in the league in Graham?  McDaniels really thinks this -- a blocking TE that will play in goal line sets only for the foreseeable future -- is a greater need than a NT or OLB, and worth trading up for.  Simply incredible.

This offseason is like a bad dream.  We've gone from having a dominant young QB leading a killer offense with proven brilliance at coach, to question marks at QB and the coach.  We've gone from a flat terrible defense, with most issues stemming from the worst front 7 in Denver history to...virtually the same front 7 with a different scheme and one more player, and an upgraded secondary.  Have we learned nothing the last years of good secondary with poor front 7 play?  It's worthless to have that!  We've traded a future first rounder -- a likely top 10 one -- and traded it for a mid 2nd round pick at a position not even a need.

HT is attempting to tell us that this somehow makes sense.  I completely disagree.  This draft and offseason shows ignorance of basic football principles like building strong lines first.  The bizarre doubling of expensive FA signings, trading up at huge cost, and spending most of these high picks on positions not even near the highest need shows that there's been no plan at all, just huge overvaluation of certain skills and positions.

At least this isn't unprecedented -- overvaluation of certain positions and talents to the complete ignorance of more important needs is the trademark of a well known team:  the Raiders.  I can't even believe I just said that, but it's true.  This draft and offseason is completely Raiders-esque.

I hope I'm wrong, but I see this team on a course for disaster.  But I'm still a fan no matter how awful things are. 

Go Broncos.

Well folks, the trade deadline is upon us.  The Avs are in a tailspin the likes of which the team has never experienced since moving to Colorado.  The front office is in denial.  The coaching staff looks lifeless.  Our goalies look worse with each passing game.  All is hopeless, right?

No!  Avaholics Anonymous is here with a 12 11 step program for the Avs to break their addiction to sucking, and get this team back on track.  Without further ado, the 11 step program for success!

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I haven't seen one of these so far this year, so I thought I'd take a couple minutes and do it myself.  Here's what the western conference standings would look like if OT/SO losses didn't get a charity point.

Western Conference
Team GP Pts (slot change)
1. * San Jose 50 72
2. * Detroit 53 70
3. * Calgary 53 62
4. Chicago 51 58
5. Minnesota 52 54 (+2)
6. Anaheim 56 54
7. Dallas 52 52 (-2)
8. Edmonton 53 52 (+1)
9. Columbus 53 50 (+1)
10. Nashville 53 50 (+2)
11. Colorado 53 50 (+3)
12. Vancouver 52 48 (-4)
13. Phoenix 54 48
14. Los Angeles 51 46 (-3)
15. St. Louis 52 44

I thought it was interesting that the Avs jump into a tie for 9th, and Vancouver drops 4 slots.  The Avs have been hurt a tremendous amount by not getting to OT before losing.  How much longer must we endure the charity point nonsense?  Are we really as bad as we've been moaning about, or are we just bad at losing at the "right" time?

Discuss.

So, the final standings at last come! My apologies in how they've been coming -- I've been working my ass off, then in Mexico (Cabo) for the last week on vacation. I have quite a backlog of games to watch!

Standings

thedoctor: 17
Joe: 17
Americanario: 16
Tommelot: 16
DD: 15
Dario: 15

I win!!!! ...and so does Joe, but the tiebreaker goes to me with my guess of 51.5m (nhlnumbers puts us at 51.008).

Actually, everyone is grouped within a 2 point range, which I find fairly remarkable and awesome. Technically, there are some unanswered questions on the list -- the Forsberg ones -- that could change the final standings, but I'm just not willing to wait that long. Anybody disagree?

So Joe owes me a beer at the Official MHH game*, whenever that is. The KYGO Puck Pass events (2 lower bowl tickets + 2 drinks + $10 at the gift store for $100) are actually all on Ticketmaster even into next year, may I suggest one of those? Let's get the ball rolling on this and we can all decide if we want to out ourselves in person. :)

* Maybe. If he wants to.

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[promoted. thanks Doc! - Joe]

I'm certainly not as qualified or in the know as Jori is about the Avs' system, but I was at the development camp today (Saturday).  Honestly, I was a little disappointed.  There wasn't much actual play occurring, just drills, so it was difficult to really get a feel for some of the players.  Rookie camp is much better in this regard -- they run drills then just scrimmage.  On the other hand, there's no college prospects at rookie camp, so it's your only real chance to see them with the Avs.

- As Jori says, the 2 prospects expected to outshine the others did, for certain.  Hensick was head and shoulders above most of his group on all drills, and Jones made pretty much everyone around him look silly, even though he still can't finish consistently.  They're both ready.  Hensick lost an edge on one drill and went hard into the boards, which clearly hurt him a lot...but he didn't miss a drill.  Good man.

- Two of the guys I most wanted to see were Shattenkirk and Mercier -- I've heard a lot about them various places.  Well, they're both for real.  Shattenkirk is on the smaller side for sure, but he was aggressive and well-positioned on D, and a smooth skater with great puck-handling and passing skills.  He ate up just about everyone on the 1 on 1 drills.  I'd guess he's about 2-3 years out, but he looks like a good bet on the main squad. 

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The roster seems about set.  Joe is leaving for a week.  So let's talk line/pairing combos, eh?  Reply with your lines and pairings -- with/without Joey, pipe dream lines, lines you think will actually happen -- whatever you want.

I'll start:

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Without further ado, the latest standings!

Standings

Dario: 9
thedoctor: 7
Joe: 7
Americanario: 6
DD: 6
Tommelot: 5

Dario jumps into the lead with some nice calls on Foote's salary and Theo's leaving. The rest of us are in a tight little pack separated by 2 points. I feel good about my chances from 2nd place! Tommelot, what happened man? and DD, I thought you were like god of numbers?

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